Chigwell Golf Club - Local Winter Rules
These rules apply to winter months & are in addition to the local rules found within the QR code on the Scorecard.
PROTECTION OF THE COURSE
We refer to regular landing areas on the course where balls frequently accumulate known as 'divot hot spots'. These designated areas will be identified and marked out by blue posts or notified by course signage.
When a player’s ball comes to rest within a designated area cut to fairway height or less and a putter is not being used for the stroke, the player has two options as follows:
i) The player may take free relief by lifting the original ball and placing the original ball or another ball on an artificial mat and play it from there. The mat must be placed on top of the spot where the ball came to rest.
If a ball when placed rolls off the mat, the player must try to place it a second time. If the ball again does not stay on the mat, the mat must be moved to the nearest spot, not nearer the hole, where the ball will come to rest on the mat when placed. If the ball on the mat is accidentally moved before a stroke is made, there is no penalty and the ball must be placed again on the mat. If a tee is used to secure the mat into the ground, the ball must not be placed on the tee.
ii) The player may take free relief by lifting the original ball and dropping it outside the designated area in the first cut of rough at the nearest point to where the ball lies, no nearer the hole.
If you are submitting a general play score for handicap purposes and your ball comes to rest within a designated area, you do not have the option of moving your ball to the nearest point of relief and the next shot must be played from where the ball lies using a portable mat in accordance with the local rule.
b. MLR E-12 – Compulsory Use of Fairway Mats
PREFERRED LIES
When any part of a player's ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:
• Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
• Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference point: The size of the relief area shall be one scorecard length or 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:
• Limits on Location of Relief Area:
o Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point.
o Must be in the general area.
Penalty for Playing a Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 14.7a: General Penalty
*RELIEF FROM AERATION HOLES *- If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole:
a) Ball in General Area. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b. If the ball comes to rest in another aeration hole the player may take relief again under this Local Rule.
b) Ball on Putting Green. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1d.
But interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s stance or, on the putting green, on the player’s line of play.
Penalty for Playing a Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 14.7a: General Penalty.
RELIEF FOR EMBEDDED BALL
When a ball is embedded in the general area free relief may be taken. The reference point for taking relief is the spot right behind where the ball is embedded. A ball must be dropped in and come to rest in the relief area.
Reference Point: The spot right behind where the ball is embedded.
Size of Relief Area: One club-length from the reference point.
Limits on Relief Area: The relief area must not be nearer the hole than the reference point and must be in the general area.
Penalty for Playing a Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 16.3: General Penalty.
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DUE TO HEAVY RAIN, TRAFFIC & RECONSTRUCTION WORKS
Ground under repair in the General area may include, even if not marked as such with white line, any areas of unusual damage, including areas where course maintenance or traffic have combined to alter the ground surface materially, by way of tyre tracks and / or tractor ruts where there is little or no doubt that areas of damage and abnormal course conditions have been caused. The area is treated as ground under repair from which relief is allowed under Rule 16.1b.
Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.
DROPPING ZONES
If a ball is in any ground under repair in any areas of bunkers and/or any tees which are under reconstruction, including when it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found but came to rest in such ground under repair, the player must:
• Take free relief under Rule 16.1, or
• As an extra option, take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in the designated dropping zone. The dropping zone is a relief area under Rule 14.3.
Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.
NO PLAY ZONES
All areas of newly laid turf, tees and any bunkers under construction and the ground inside the edge of these defined areas and which have a notice of a ‘no play zone’ are to be treated as an abnormal course condition, from which play is prohibited.
This also includes:
• Areas where turf or sand has been removed and rock or soil is exposed.
• All sand, rock or soil that is piled for removal.
Free relief must be taken from interference by the no play zone under Rule 16.1f.
Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.
NB. The General Area is the area of the course that covers all of the course except for the other four defined areas which are; (1) the teeing area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole the player is playing.
The general area includes:
• All teeing locations on the course; other than the teeing area, and
• All wrong greens.
GOLF RULES
Please click on the links within the document above or the following links to access the rules mentioned above:
Rule 14 https://www.randa.org/rog/the-rules-of-golf/rule-14
Rule 16 https://www.randa.org/rog/the-rules-of-golf/rule-16